Ahmed Mohamed Sallam

Sara Almana Khider

SPECIAL PURPOSES
CONCRETES
Introduction
The properties of concrete depend on
the quantities and qualities of its
components. Because cement is the
most active component of concrete and
usually has the greatest unit cost, its
selection and proper use are important
in obtaining most economically the
balance of properties desired for any
particular concrete mixture.
History of the origin of cement
It is uncertain where it was first
discovered that a combination of hydrated
non- hydraulic lime and a pozzolan
produces a hydraulic mixture , but
concrete made from such mixtures was
first used on a large scale by Roman
engineers. They used both natural
pozzolans (trass or pumice) and artificial
pozzolans (ground brick or pottery) in
these concretes.
Many excellent examples of structures
made from these concretes are still
standing, notably the huge monolithic
dome of the Pantheon in Rome and the
massive Baths of Caracalla.
Baths of Caracalla
The Pantheon - Rome
Cement production
 Cement is made by heating limestone
(calcium carbonate), with small quantities
of other materials (such as clay) to
1450 °C in a kiln, in a process known as
calcination, whereby a molecule of
carbon dioxide is liberated from the
calcium carbonate to form calcium oxide,
or quicklime, which is then blended with
the other materials that have been
included in the mix .
 The resulting hard substance, called
'clinker', is then ground with a small
amount of gypsum into a powder to
make Portland cement
Cement composition
The phase compositions in Portland
cement are denoted by ASTM as
tricalcium silicate (C3S), dicalcium silicate
(C2S), tricalcium aluminate (C3A), and
tetracalcium aluminoferrite (C4AF). the
early hydration of cement is principally
controlled by the amount and activity of
C3A . , the C3S and C2S will have the
primary influence on long term
development of structure .
Cements high in C3S (especially those that
are finely ground) will hydrate more rapidly
and lead to higher early strength. However,
the hydration products formed will, in effect,
make it more difficult for hydration to
proceed at later ages, leading to an ultimate
strength lower than desired in some cases.
Cements high in C2S will hydrate much
more slowly, leading to a denser ultimate
structure and a higher long-term strength.
Physical Properties of Portland Cements

ASTM C 150 and AASHTO M 85 have

specified certain physical requirements
for each type of cement. These properties
include 1) fineness, 2) soundness, 3)
consistency, 4) setting time, 5)
compressive strength, 6) heat of
hydration, 7) specific gravity, and 8) loss
of ignition. Each one of these properties
has an influence on the performance of
cement in concrete.
The fineness of the cement, for
example, affects the rate of hydration.
Greater fineness increases the surface
available for hydration, causing greater
early strength and more rapid
generation of heat .
Types of Portland cement
Different types of Portland cement are
manufactured to meet different physical
and chemical requirements for specific
purposes, such as durability and high-
early strength. Eight types of cement are
covered in ASTM C 150 and AASHTO M
85. These types and brief descriptions of
their uses are listed in Table 1.
Cement type Use

I1 General purpose cement, when there are

no extenuating conditions

II2 Aids in providing moderate resistance to

sulfate attack

III When high-early strength is required

IV3 When a low heat of hydration is desired (in
massive structures)

V4 When high sulfate resistance is required

IA4 A type I cement containing an integral air-
entraining agent

IIA4 A type II cement containing an integral air-

entraining agent

IIIA4 A type III cement containing an integral air-

entraining agent
Ordinary Portland Cement

Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is the most

important type of cement.
The OPC was classified into three grades,
namely 33 grade, 43 grade and53 grade
depending upon the strength of the cement
at 28 days when tested as per IS 4031-
1988. If the 28 days strength is not less than
33N/mm2, it is called 33 grade cement,
if the strength is not less than 43N/mm2, it is
called 43 grade cement, and if the strength
is not less than 53 N/mm2, it is called 53
grade cement.

Uses :-
for general purposes cement , when there is
no extenuating condition .
Rapid Hardening Cement

This cement is similar to ordinary Portland

cement. As the name indicates it develops
strength rapidly and as such it may be more
appropriate to call it as high early strength
cement.

Rapid hardening cement develops at the age of

three days, the same strength as that is
expected of ordinary Portland cement at seven
days.
 The rapid rate of development of strength is attributed
to the higher fineness of grinding and higher C3S and
lower C2S content.
 Uses:
In pre-fabricated concrete construction.
Where formwork is required to be removed early for
reuse.
Road repair works.
In cold weather concrete where the rapid rate of
development of strength reduces the vulnerability of
concrete to the frost damage.
Extra Rapid Hardening Cement

Extra rapid hardening cement is obtained by

intergrinding calcium chloride with rapid
hardening Portland cement.

The normal addition of calcium chloride

should not exceed 2 percent by weight of
the rapid hardening cement.
The strength of extra rapid hardening
cement is about 25 per cent higher than that
of rapid hardening cement at one or two
days and 10–20 per cent higher at 7 days.

The gain of strength will disappear with age

and at 90 days the strength of extra rapid
hardening cement or the ordinary Portland
cement may be nearly the same.
Sulphate Resisting Cement

Ordinary Portland cement is susceptible to

the attack of sulphates, in particular to the
action of magnesium sulphate. Sulphates
react both with the free calcium hydroxide in
set cement to form calcium sulphate and
with hydrate of calcium aluminate to form
calcium sulphoaluminate, the volume of
which is approximately 227% of the volume
of the original aluminates.
Solid sulphate do not attack the cement
compound. Sulphates in solution permeate
into hardened concrete and attack calcium
hydroxide, hydrated calcium aluminate and
even hydrated silicates.
The above is known as sulphate attack.
Sulphate attack is greatly accelerated if
accompanied by alternate wetting and drying
which normally takes place in marine
structures in the zone of tidal variations.
To remedy the sulphate attack, the use of
cement with low C3A content is found to be
effective. Such cement with low C3A and
comparatively low C4AF content is known
as Sulphate Resisting Cement. In other
words, this cement has a high silicate
content. The specification generally limits
the C3A content to 5 per cent.
 Uses :
Concrete to be used in marine condition;
Concrete to be used in foundation and
basement, where soil is infested with
sulphates;
Concrete used for fabrication of pipes which
are likely to be buried in marshy region or
sulphate bearing soils;
Concrete to be used in the construction of
sewage treatment works.
Low Heat Cement

It is well known that hydration of cement is an

exothermic action which produces large
quantity of heat during hydration.
Formation of cracks in large body of concrete
due to heat of hydration has focused the
attention of the concrete technologists to
produce a kind of cement which produces
less heat or the same amount of heat, at a
low rate during the hydration process.
A low-heat evolution is achieved by reducing
the contents of C3S and C3A which are the
compounds evolving the maximum heat of
hydration and increasing C2S.
A reduction of temperature will retard the
chemical action of hardening and so further
restrict the rate of evolution of heat. The rate
of evolution of heat will, therefore, be less and
evolution of heat will extend over a longer
period.
Portland Blastfurnace Cement
 Portland Blastfurnace Cement contains up
to 70% ground granulated blast furnace
slag, with the rest Portland clinker and a
little gypsum. All compositions produce
high ultimate strength, but as slag content
is increased, early strength is reduced,
while sulfate resistance increases and
heat evolution diminishes. Used as an
economic alternative to Portland sulfate-
resisting and low-heat cements.
 
Portland Flyash Cement

 contains up to 30% fly ash. The flyash

is pozzolanic, so that ultimate strength is
maintained. Because flyash addition
allows a lower concrete water content,
early strength can also be maintained.
Where good quality cheap flyash is
available, this can be an economic
alternative to ordinary Portland cement.
Portland Pozzolan Cement
 Includes fly ash cement, since fly ash is
a pozzolan, but also includes cements
made from other natural or artificial
pozzolans. In countries where volcanic
ashes are available (e.g. Italy, Chile,
Mexico, the Philippines) these cements
are often the most common form in use.
Portland Silica Fume cement
 Addition of silica fume can yield
exceptionally high strengths, and
cements containing 5-20% silica fume
are occasionally produced. However,
silica fume is more usually added to
Portland cement at the concrete mixer.
Calcium aluminate cements
 are hydraulic cements made primarily
from limestone and bauxite. The active
ingredients are monocalcium aluminate
CaAl2O4 (CA in Cement chemist
notation) and Mayenite Ca12Al14O33
(C12A7 in CCN). Strength forms by
hydration to calcium aluminate hydrates.
They are well-adapted for use in
refractory (high-temperature resistant)
concretes, e.g. for furnace linings.
Influence of Portland Cement on
Concrete Properties
Cement Property Cement Effects

Placeability Cement amount, fineness, setting

characteristics

Strength Cement composition (C3S, C2S and C3A),

loss on ignition, fineness

Drying Shrinkage SO3content, cement composition

Permeability Cement composition, fineness

Resistance to sulfate C3A content

Alkali Silica Reactivity Alkali content

Corrosion of embedded steel Cement Composition (esp. C3A

content)
Other types of concretes
Polymer concrete
 Polymer concrete is part of group of
concretes that use polymers to
supplement or replace cement as a
binder. The types include polymer-
impregnated concrete, polymer
concrete, and polymer-Portland-cement
concrete.
Composition
 In polymer concrete, thermosetting resins are
used as the principal polymer component due
to their high thermal stability and resistance to
a wide variety of chemicals. Polymer concrete
is also composed of aggregates that include
silica, quartz, granite, limestone, and other
high quality material. The aggregate must be of
good quality, free of dust and other debris, and
dry. Failure of these criteria can reduce the
bond strength between the polymer binder and
the aggregate.
Uses
 Polymer concrete may be used for new
construction or repairing of old concrete. The
adhesion properties of polymer concrete allow
patching for both polymer and cementitious
concretes. The low permeability of polymer
concrete allows it to be used in swimming pools,
sewer pipes, drainage channels, electrolytic
cells for base metal recovery, and other
structures that contain liquids. It can also be
used as a replacement for asphalt pavement,
for higher durability and higher strength.
Ferrocement
 is a composite material which is used in
building or sculpture with cement, sand, water
and wire or mesh material—often called a thin
shell in North America.
 Ferrocement has great strength and economy.
It is fireproof, earthquake safe and does not
rust, rot or blow down in storms. It has a broad
range of applications which include home
building, creating sculptures, repair of existing
artifacts and building boats and ships.
Fibre reinforced concrete
 Fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) is concrete
containing fibrous material which increases its
structural integrity. It contains short discrete
fibres that are uniformly distributed and
randomly oriented. Fibres include steel fibres,
glass fibres, synthetic fibres and natural fibres.
Within these different fibres that character of
fibre reinforced concrete changes with varying
concretes, fibre materials, geometries,
distribution, orientation and densities.
Roller-Compacted Concrete
 Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) or rolled
concrete is a special blend of concrete that
has the same ingredients as conventional
concrete but in different ratios. It has cement,
water, and aggregates, but RCC is much drier
and essentially has no slump. RCC is placed
in a manner similar to paving, often by dump
trucks or conveyors, spread by bulldozers or
special modified asphalt pavers. After
placement it is compacted by vibratory rollers.
 RCC is typically used for concrete
pavement, but it is increasingly used to
build concrete dams because the low
cement content causes less heat to be
generated while curing than do
conventional massive concrete pours.
Self Compacting Concrete (SCC)
 Unlike the conventional concrete, self
compacting concrete doesn't require
compacting using external force from
mechanical equipments such as an immersion
vibrator; instead SSC is designed in such as
way that it gets compacted using its own weight
and characteristics.
 Once applied, the self compacting property
enables the concrete to fully reinforce around
the steel structures and completely fill the space
within the framework.
 The self compacting of concrete is
achieved without losing any kind of
strength, stability, or change in properties.
How is SCC made ?
Self compacting concrete is a type of
concrete, which is not a product of mixing
substances having different properties but
a combination of several mixes having the
same flow characteristics.
 Manufacturing of a Self Compacting
Concrete requires three main aspects to
be fulfilled. They are as follows:
 High amount of water reducing
substance or super plasticizers is added
for obtaining high flowing characteristics.
 A type of aggregate mixture is added to gain the
desired compactness. Note that the aggregate
content is of round shape and proportional in
size in order to increase the locking tendency of
the concrete.
 Alteration of fluid properties is done to ensure a
cohesive mix which will keep the aggregate and
paste together. These fluid properties can be
achieved by adding a high quantity of fine
content such as cement fly-ash or by adding
viscosity modifying admixtures (VMA).
High performance concrete
 High performance concrete (HPC) has
been defined as concrete that possesses
high workability, high strength and high
durability.
 The primary application for HPC have been
structures requiring long service lives such
as oil drilling platform, long span bridges
and parking structures. HPC still requires
good construction practice and good curing
to deliver high performance.
 High Performance Concrete (HPC) is a
concrete made with appropriate materials
combined according to a selected mix
design; properly mixed, transported,
placed, consolidated and cured so that the
resulting concrete will give excellent
performance in the structure in which it is
placed, in the environment to which it is
exposed and with the loads to which it will
be subject for its design life.
 Mix proportions for high-performance
concrete (HPC) are influenced by many
factors, including specified performance
properties, locally available materials,
local experience, personal preferences,
and cost. With today’s technology, there
are many products available for use in
concrete to enhance its properties.
Heavyweight concrete
 Heavyweight concrete uses heavy
natural aggregates such as barites or
magnetite or manufactured aggregates
such as iron or lead shot. The main
land-based application is for radiation
shielding (medical or nuclear). Offshore,
heavyweight concrete is used for
ballasting for pipelines and similar
structures.
Low density concrete
 The use of low-density concrete provides
several advantages with the primary, and most
obvious, benefit being a 15 to 25% savings in
weight without sacrificing the overall strength
of a structure. However, the use of low-density
concrete can result in a considerable impact to
the structural design and cost of the structure.
Light weight aggregate are used to produce
low density concrete , the reduced density is
derived from voids within the aggregate
particles